Can carriers



W. H. BIXBY CAN CARRIERS May 26, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 1961 INVENTOR W fl/fam H. B/Lrby BY Qbwa ATTORNEY May 26, 1964 W. H. BIXBY CAN CARRIERS Filed July 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofitice 3,134,532 Patented May 25, 1964 3,134,532 CAY CARRIERS William H. Bixby, Park Ridge, 111., assiguor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 123,366 3 Claims. (Cl. '2240) This invention relates to an improvement in can carriers and deals particularly with a carrier which uses tabs foldably connected adjacent the ends of a sleeve for engaging into the recessed ends of the cans.

At the present time, can carriers designed to contain a plurality of cans have been produced at great volume. Many of these carriers are designed to contain two rows of cans, the cans of the rows being in opposed relation. Some of these carriers comprise open-ended sleeves having a central partition, the sleeves being designed to contain one row of cans between the partition and each of the side walls. However, due to the competitive nature of various carriers of this type, certain of the users have preferred to reduce the cost of production by eliminating the central partition to reduce the total area of paper board used.

Certain of the can carriers of this type have been provided with foldably connected handles by means of which the carriers and their contents may be lifted from their packing cases and to facilitate the carrying of individual cartons. Where handles of this type are eliminated in the interest of economy, one of the panels of the carriers are often provided with spaced apertures, these -apertures being located over the space left between the cans due to the cylindrical shape thereof. While such finger openings serve their intended purpose, they have a tendency to bow the aperture panel upwardly away from the ends of the cans. If the cans are being held in place by inwardly turned tabs engaging into the recessed ends of the cans, the upward bowing of the aperflaps are provided in spaced relation to the can engaging tabsand which are folded between the can engaging tabs and the panel to which they are hinged. The natural tendency of these flaps to hinge toward the can ends supplements the tendency for the can engaging tabs to fold inwardly against the can ends, thus lessening the danger of having the cans disengage so that they may fall from the open ends of the carrier.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a can carrier showing the general arrangement of parts therein.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of the carrier shown in FIGURE 1, with the top panel of the carrier bowed upwardly away from the upper ends of the can.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan View of the top panel of the carrier showing can-retaining tabs and hinge flaps folded into overlapping relation.

FIGURE 4 is a detailed sectional view, the position of the section being indicated by the line 44 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan View of the blank from which the carrier is made.

FIGURE 6 is a partial top plan view of a modified form of construction of can carrier.

The drawings in the present application illustrate a carrier designed to hold six cans arranged in two parallel rows each including three cans. The cans of the two rows are in side by side relation. The details of the specific blank are for the purpose of illustration and these details of construction may be varied to conform with the particular design or apparatus which is to package the cans in carrier. In the typical construction illustrated, the blank of the carrier A as shown in FIG- URE 5 is shown as having a top panel 10 which is of a width substantially equal to the combined widths of the rows of cans C contained. The top panel 10 is connected along parallel fold lines 11 to side wall panels 12 which are of a width substantially equal to the axial height of the cans. The lower edges of the side walls 12 are connected along parallel fold lines 13 to bottom panels 14, these bottom panels 14 being of a width substantially equal to the diameter of the can C. The free edges of the panels 14 may, if desired, be secured in overlapping relation. In the particular form illus- "trated, the bottom panels 14 are connected along parallel fold lines 15 to short partition panels 16. These panels 16 are preferably connected along parallel fold lines 17 to flanges 19 which are preferably narrower than the partition panels 16 by approximately the height of the chimes of the cans being packaged. In this type of carrier, the partition panels 16 are folded at right angles to the bottom panels 14 to extend toward the top panel 10, and these partition panels 16 are adhered in face contact. The flanges 19 fold outwardly and downwardly from the partition panels 16 and are designed to engage against the chimes of the cans to hold the bottom panels 14 in alignment. The structure described is not a part of the present invention.

Substantially triangular tabs 20 are cut from the bottom panels 14 and are foldably connected thereto along diagonally extending fold lines 21. The tabs 20 are preferably provided with arcuate edges 22 which are designed to extend against the inner surfaces of the can chimes, when the tabs are folded to slightly less than 120 degrees to overlie the bottom panels. In the particular arrangement illustrated, similar generally triangular flaps 23 are cut from the top panel 10 and are in opposed relation to the flaps 20 on the bottom panels when the carrier is filled. The flaps 23 are foldably connected to the top panel 16 along diagonal fold lines 24, and include arcuate edges 25 designed to engage against the inner surface of the chimes of the cans when the flaps 23 are folded to slightly less than 120 degrees to underlie the top panel 10.

Carriers of the type described to this point have been previously produced, and no claim is made herein to the particular form of the can engaging tab.

As indicated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, auxiliary flaps are formed in the top panel 19. These auxiliary flaps fold between flaps 23 and the under surface of the top panel 10 when the carrier is filled. While the shape of these auxiliary flaps is not of utmost importance, the form generally illustrated has the advantage of requiring no stripping of the paper stock. The flaps 27 are defined by pairs of oppositely arcuated cut lines 29 and 30 which may have a common center of curvature if desired. The cut lines 2? and 30 are spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the blank, and the cut lines 29 and 30 are centrally connected by cut lines 31 which are parallel to, and positioned midway between, the fold line 11. In other words, the

.11 and are located between the tabs 23, particularly when these tabs 23 are in folded position. The flaps 27 are connected to the top panel along diagonal fold lines 32 which diverge toward the longitudinal center of the blank. In other words, the fold lines 32 are generally parallel to the fold lines 24 which connect the tabs 23 to the top panel. The flaps 27 are properly related to the tabs 23 so that the ends of the flaps 27 terminate inwardly of the fold lines 23 so that the flaps and tabs rnay fold into overlapping relation when the flaps and tabs are folded through an angle of Slightly less than 180 degrees. The flaps 27 are folded to extend between at least a portion of the corresponding tabs 23.

The flaps 27, when folded to underlie the top panel, have a tendency to swing downwardly due to the line of fold connecting these flaps to the top panel.

As a result, if the top panel is bowed upwardly as indicated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the. downward force of the fiaps supplements the downward force of the tabs, holding the arcuate edges 25 of the tabs 23 more firmly in engagement with the chimes of the cans C. As .will be noted from FIGURES 1 and 3 of the drawings, when the flaps 27 have been folded beneath the top panel 10 in the manner described, a pair of spaced apertures is provided in the top panel through which fingers may be inserted in order to lift the carrier. As will be noted from FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the openings formed by the foldingof the flaps 27 are substantially aligned with the spaces between the cans C of the two rows.

In FIGURE 6 of the drawings a small portion of the carrier top panel 40 is shown, this corner of thepanel showing a modified formof flap 41 which is foldably connected to the top panel along a fold line 42 parallel to the longitudinal edge 43 of the carrier blank. Four such flaps would be provided in the carrier, as will be understood, where the carrier is designed to contain two parallel rows of cans C.

'In this construction, a flap 44 is hingedly connected to the top panel 40 along a fold line 45 which is also parallel to the longitudinal blank edge 43. This flap 44 is defined by the score line 45 and a generally U-shaped out line 46, and the length of the flap 44 is shorter than the distance between the fold lines 42 and 45. As a result, the flap 44 may be 'folded to underlie the top panel 40 in each corner of the panel, and will overlie the inwardly folded flap 41. As a result, the flap 44 will tend to hold the a'rcuate edge 47 of the tab or flap 41 against the inner surface of the chime of the can C.

Inaccordance with the patent statutes, 1 have de The can-engaging tabs 23 also have a tendency to'swing downwardly due to their pivotal connection with the top panel.

scribed the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in can carriers, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1 claim:

1. A can sleeve for use in containing a series of cans arranged in two parallel rows in side by side relation, the cans having at least one recessed end, the sleeve including a panel overlying the recessed can ends, each .end of said panel including a pair of tabs folded inwardly through substantially degrees to engage into the recessed ends of the end cans of the rows, and auxiliary tabs hinged to said panel and folded between the first named tabs and the portion of the panel which the first named tabs overlie.

2. A can sleeve for use in containing a series of cans arranged in two parallel rows in side by side relation, the cans having at least'one recessed end, the sleeve including a panel overlying the recessed can ends, each end of said panel including a pair of tabs foldable inwardly to engage into the recessed ends of the end cans of the rows, said tabs being foldably connected to said panel along lines of fold which extend diagonally with respect to the length of the sleeve, and diverge outwardly toward the center of the sleeve, a pair of auxiliary tabs hingedly' connected to said panel along fold lines which are generally parallel to the lines of fold connecting said first tabs to said panel, said auxiliary tabs being cut from the area of said panel overlying the space between the first two pairs of cans in said rows, said auxiliary tabs being folded'between said first tabs and said 7 panel and providing a finger opening in said panel.

3. A can carrier for use in carrying a plurality of 7 cans having at least one recessed end, the carrier comprising a paper-board sleeve designed to encircle at least the major portion of the can bodies and including a panel overlying the recessed ends of the cans, a tab folded.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,790,590 Toensmeier' Apr. 30, 1957 3,010,573 v Chidsey Nov. 28, 1961 

1. A CAN SLEEVE FOR USE IN CONTAINING A SERIES OF CANS ARRANGED IN TWO PARALLEL ROWS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION, THE CANS HAVING AT LEAST ONE RECESSED END, THE SLEEVE INCLUDING A PANEL OVERLYING THE RECESSED CAN ENDS, EACH END OF SAID PANEL INCLUDING A PAIR OF TABS FOLDED INWARDLY THROUGH SUBSTANTIALLY 180 DEGREES TO ENGAGE INTO THE RECESSED ENDS OF THE END CANS OF THE ROWS, AND AUXILIARY TABS HINGED TO SAID PANEL AND FOLDED BETWEEN THE FIRST NAMED TABS AND THE PORTION OF THE PANEL WHICH THE FIRST NAMED TABS OVERLIE. 